Evans pursues her soccer dream in Europe

Kirsten Evans of Farmington Hills is pursuing two of her longtime ambitions simultaneously — to play professional soccer and to experience life in Europe.

After completing her collegiate career at Michigan State, Evans signed a pro contract this summer with Football Femminile Lugano, one of the top women’s teams in Switzerland.

The city of Lugano is in the southern part of the country, not far from the Italian border, and the team competes in the LNA — the Nationalligaa, the Swiss First Division.

Evans will be one of a handful of American players on the team, including Jamie Kator, a former teammate of Evans at Vanderbilt University.

“From what I’ve heard — and I know a couple girls on the team — they absolutely love it,” Evans said last week while waiting at JFK Airport for a flight to Milan and bus ride to Lugano.

“They love the club, they love the location, they love the league they’re in. They said Lugano is an absolutely beautiful city with a lot to do. They’ve been taking trips to Italy on the weekends.”

Evans, a 2011 graduate of Farmington High School and former Falcons player, missed the start of the season while she finished a course at MSU.

“The coach in Lugano was very understanding and cool about it,” Evans said. “He said to get here as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I missed out on the preseason with the girls. They’ve only played two or three games, so I haven’t missed much.”

Former MSU player Kirsten Evans of Farmington Hills controls the ball in the midfield during a Big Ten game with Ohio State.(Photo: MICHIGAN STATE)

With the help of Kator and a Swedish agent with Swiss contacts, Evans was put in touch with the Lugano club, which asked for a resume and highlight video. Subsequently, the team offered her a contract and spot on the team.

“I always knew I wanted to play professionally and live in Europe at some point of my life,” Evans said. “I’m just ready for this adventure. I’ve dreamed about doing this my whole life.

“My older sister was able to play in Sweden and said, ‘If you ever have the opportunity to play internationally, definitely do it. You learn so much about yourself, get to see the world, travel expense-free and meet people from all over.'

“It was a really great experience. I’m just ready to go over and absorb as much as I can and enjoy this next chapter of my life.”

Lindsey Evans, who also played at Farmington High and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, spent three years playing in Sweden.

“I think we just have this travel bug in all of us, that we crave new cultures, languages and places,” Kirsten said. “Instead of a graduation party, I asked my mom and dad if they would send me to Sweden to visit her.

“Seeing her there and enjoying it was a big moment for me. I said: ‘I’m actually going to follow this dream. It’s possible for an American to play in Europe and to play professional soccer.’ It made me believe I could really make it happen.”

The current Swiss season goes until the end of October. Evans plans to travel in Europe, return home for Christmas and go back for the second part of the season in January.

Evans, who was a midfielder for the Spartans, expected to have much the same role on the FFLugano team.

“They asked me if I could play center back and center mid,” she said. “I told them I’m up for the challenge and can pretty much play anywhere on the pitch they would need me.”

Kirsten Evans will play either center back or center mid for the FFLugano women's team in the Swiss First Division. The primary language spoken in Lugano is Italian.(Photo: michigan state)

Evans thinks professional soccer in Europe will be much different than the collegiate game in the United States.

“I think it will be a more technical league,” she said. “I think the girls will be more technically sound. I think the soccer will be faster.

“It will be a little different getting used to it. In the Big Ten, it was about being the most aggressive team and winning the game through tough battles.

“In the European league, I think there will be a little more finesse to the players. Whereas, they’re a little bigger and stronger in the U.S. I think the girls will be a little smaller and play with more finesse.”

Evans began her college career at Vanderbilt and transferred to MSU two years later. She played three seasons for the Spartans, receiving a fifth year for a medical redshirt.

While her primary role as a midfielder was to distribute the ball, Evans scored three goals as a senior in the fall of 2015, including a pair of game-winners versus Baylor and Dayton. She also scored against Indiana and assisted on the winning goal in the Iowa game.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Evans said of her time at MSU. “The trips I was able to go on, the games, the wins and losses — I wouldn’t trade anything for that experience.

“MSU was a great school. It was amazing to play in the Big Ten. It was fun to go to a big school with all the great sports they have there. I met my best friends on the soccer team. It helped me grow into the person and player I wanted to be.”

Evans also was a three-time, All-Big Ten academic player. She received her undergraduate degree in health sciences and plans to pursue a graduate degree in occupational therapy.